Distribution regulator and shut-off gate



Feb. 19, 1963 v. L. BACON DISTRIBUTION REGULATOR AND SHUT-OFF GATE FiledJune 17, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 mw W5 4 Feb. 19, 1963 v. BACONDISTRIBUTION REGULATOR AND SHUT-OFF GATE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 17.1960 IN V EN TOR. Wave Z. 15900 United dtatcs atent s,e7s,019DISTREBUTION REGULATQR AND SHUT- EFF GATE Victor L. Bacon, 944) N. 23thSt., Billings, Mont. Filed .lnne l7, 1%0, Ser. No. 36,957 2 Claims.(ill. 222-310) This invention relates to a distribution regulator andshut-01f gate for use with hoppers as, for example, truck boxes or thelike containers equipped with conveyor belts or other types ofmechanical feed systems.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of a device whichwill keep the material in a hopper from continuing to How from the exitwhen the feed mechanism is stopped even though the conventional stopgate is left open.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of thischaracter which will eliminate the need for readjustment of the flowcontrol upon restarting of the conveyor system.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of such adistribution regulator in the form of a hood adapted to be positionedinternally of the hopper body and having tapered sides inclined in thedirection of flow of the material, so as to be substantially immune toclogging of material fed thereunder.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such a devicewhich may be regulated to various rates of flow and quantities ofmaterial to be handled.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of such a devicewhich is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and efficient inoperation, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, installand utilize.

Still other objects reside in the combinations of elements, arrangementsof parts, and features of construction, all as will be more fullypointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawingswherein there is shown a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, partially broken away, of a hopper,such as a truck body or the like, including an endless belt conveyor,showing the distribution regulator and shut-off gate in positiontherein, parts of the hopper being broken away.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along theline 2-2. of FIG. 1 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 ofFIG. 2 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a modilied form ofconstruction.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 ofFIG. 4 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along theline 6-6 of FIG. 5 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

Having reference now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1to 3, there is generally indicated at in a hopper of any desiredconventional type in which material is adapted to be transported orstored, or otherwise positioned for any desired purpose. The hopper 10is provided on its underside with an endless conveyor belt 11, which ismounted on the usual rollers 12 at its opposite ends, and driven in anydesired conventional manner. The conveyor belt moves material 13 fromthe interior of the hopper 10 to an outlet opening 14 or gate,

which is controlled normally by a slidable shut-oil gate 15 providedwith an operating handle 16 and mounted in suitable flanges or brackets17 on the exterior of the hopper.

All of the foregoing is largely conventional, and heretofore, as long asthe conveyor belt has been moving, and the gate 15 opened, material hasbeen conveyed from the hopper to any desired external source.

Heretofore, when the gate 15 is left open and the hopper has been filledto a reasonable extent, material has had a tendency to leak out throughthe opening 14 unless the gate 15 had been previously closed. Since thegate 15 may be left open through inadvertence frequently, this hassometimes resulted in a loss of valuable material from the interior ofthe hopper. The device of the instant invention is generally indicatedat 20*, and comprises a hood having an inclined front wall 21, whichinclines upwardly from a position immediately over the conveyor belt 11.Side walls 22 are also inclined upwardly from the open bottom 23 of thedevice. The inclined front wall 21 and side walls 22 terminate at apoint adjacent the inner face of the end wall 24 of the hopper, and aresecured to a sleeve 25, which is mounted rotatably on an axle 2d. Theends of the axle 26 are adapted to extend through a suitable selectedpair of openings 27' and a pair of channel irons 28, which are disposedin vertical relation on the interior of the end wall 24 and fixedlysecured thereto. A nut 29 may be secured to the end of the axle forsecuring the device in position.

In the normal position of adjustment as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, materialis conveyed by the conveyor belt 11 toward the opennig l4, and fed underthe open bottom 23 of the hood Zil. When the conveyor belt is stopped,the forwardly and downwardly sloping front wall 21, and the downwardlyinclined side walls 22 serve to prevent any seepage or leakage of thematerial under the shield and out of the opening, the incline of thewall serving to turn back material into the main bulk of the pile, asshown at 13 in FIG. 1.

When it is desired to dispense with the hood 20' entirely, the same maybe moved upwardly to the dotted line position of FIG. 1 by simplyrotating the same about the axle 26, it being noted that the sleeve 25is freely rotatable thereabout.

When it is desired to adjust the device, obviously the axle 26 may beremoved from the sleeve and from the associated openings 27, andreplaced in another selected pair of aligned openings, to vary theheight of the open bottom 23 of the hood from the conveyor belt.

A modified form of construction is disclosed in FIGS. 4, S, and 6wherein there is shown a hopper 30 having an end opening 31 and asuitable conventional end gate similar to the end gate 15, which hasbeen omitted 111 this illustration for the sake of clarity. An endlessbelt 32 mounted on conventional rollers 33 serves to convey materialfrom the interior of a hopper toward the outlet opening 31.

In this modification the hood generally indicated at 35 includes acorresponding inclined front wall 36 and side walls 37 tapering in amanner similar to that of the previously described modification.

Secured to the top of the front wall 36 is an axle 33, which carries atits ends a pair of rollers 39, which are secured in position by locknuts 40 or the like, and which are adapted to abut the inner surface ofthe front wall 41 of hopper 39. An elongated slot 42 extends upwardlyimmediately above the outlet opening 31, and has extending therethrougha pair of spaced lugs 43, which are fixedly secured to a plate 44mounted on a rod 38. The plate 44 extends a substantial distance aboveand below the lugs 43 and serves as a shield 0r closure for the slot 42,when the hood 35 is in its lowered position. A guide lug 42a serves tostabilize the bottom of plate 44 against lateral movement in slot 42.

Secured between the lugs 43 is a shaft or axle 46, which carries outsideof the lugs 43 a pair of rollers 47 which are adapted to engage theouter face of rear wall 41 on opposite sides of the slot 42. Fixedlysecured to the axle 46 between the lugs 43 is a bushing 48, which issecured to the operating rod 49 of any suitable hydraulic operatingmechanism 50, which is arranged to raise or lower the hood assembly tothe desired elevation relative to the conveyor belt 32 and the opening31.

The use and operation of this device are substantially identical to thatdisclosed in the preceding modification, with the exception of the factthat the raising and lowering of the device is eifected by hydraulicmeans, rather than manual.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided adistribution regulator and shut-ofi gate which accomplishes all of theobjects of this invention, and others, including many advantages ofgreat practical utility and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as manymodifications may be made in the embodiments hereinbefore shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to beinterpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a distributor regulator and shut-off gate for a hopper having arear wall with an outlet opening therein and horizontal conveyor meansfor moving material in the hopper towards said outlet, the combinationcomprising a pivotally mounted hood including an inclined front wall andtapered side Walls, means securing said hood to the rear wall of saidhopper above said outlet with said inclined front wall extendinginwardly of the hopper and downwardly over said conveyor, a barextending transversely across the top of said inclined front wall ofsaid hood; rollers mounted on the ends of said bar, lugs extendingrearwardly from said bar and projecting through a vertical slot in saidrear wall of said hopper; a hydraulic cylinder positioned on said rearwall of said hopper and an actuating rod extending from said cylinder tosaid projecting lugs for slidably varying the relative distance of thelower end of said hood from said conveyor means.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein a shield is secured to said barextending over said slot as said hood is raised and lowered.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS662,672 Hickey Nov. 27, 1900 1,360,805 Sherman et al Nov. 30, 19202,339,667 Arndt Jan. 18, 1944 2,343,707 Roland Mar. 7, 1944 2,389,845Erickson Nov, 27, 1945 2,968,426 Borella Jan. 17, 1961

1. IN A DISTRIBUTOR REGULATOR AND SHUT-OFF GATE FOR A HOPPER HAVING AREAR WALL WITH AN OUTLET OPENING THEREIN AND HORIZONTAL CONVEYOR MEANSFOR MOVING MATERIAL IN THE HOPPER TOWARDS SAID OUTLET, THE COMBINATIONCOMPRISING A PIVOTALLY MOUNTED HOOD INCLUDING AN INCLINED FRONT WALL ANDTAPERED SIDE WALLS, MEANS SECURING SAID HOOD TO THE REAR WALL OF SAIDHOPPER ABOVE SAID OUTLET WITH SAID INCLINED FRONT WALL EXTENDINGINWARDLY OF THE HOPPER AND DOWNWARDLY OVER SAID CONVEYOR, A BAREXTENDING TRANSVERSELY ACROSS THE TOP OF SAID INCLINED FRONT WALL OFSAID HOOD; ROLLERS MOUNTED ON THE ENDS OF SAID BAR, LUGS EXTENDINGREARWARDLY FROM SAID BAR AND PROJECTING THROUGH A VERTICAL SLOT IN SAIDREAR WALL OF SAID HOPPER; A HYDRAULIC CYLINDER POSITIONED ON SAID REARWALL OF SAID HOPPER AND AN ACTUATING ROD EXTENDING FROM SAID CYLINDER TOSAID PROJECTING LUGS FOR SLIDABLY VARYING THE RELATIVE DISTANCE OF THELOWER END OF SAID HOOD FROM SAID CONVEYOR MEANS.